Puppets of Another Kind
by Happiness's Deceit
Summary: The Akatsuki are blind to their crimes and in that way, they are akin to a group of children. But a child can be crueler than the worst of adults, and that much power in such a mind set is a dangerous thing. Itachi regrets. Deidara reveals.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**

The Akatsuki are blind to their crimes- and in that way, they are akin to a group of children. But a child can be crueler than the worst of adults, and that much power in such a mind set is a dangerous thing. Itachi regrets. Deidara reveals. And silently, they begin to fall apart with the knowledge that none of the other members seem to realize what is going on.

**Acknowledgements**

The original idea that becomes the basis of this story belongs to **VenusIsKnownForFlyTraps**. She is also the beta-reader and responsible for this not being a terrible mess.

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**Chapter One  
**_Supplication_

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They ignored what was right in front of them — the truth of what they accomplished. They only believed in their own self-righteousness and ignored the beliefs of others. This was the way the Akatsuki had always been run. If you were foolish enough to let something kill you, you received no pity from your comrades, and left to rot. They were alone in the world. Together they stood, as people who had reaped havoc from their home villages; united, they fulfilled the darkest dreams of their companions. There was no good or bad in their presence—only a weak sense of loyalty. They didn't get in fights, they didn't kill each other, and they didn't get in the way of the mission. That was all. They had no other limitations, no other restrictions. They believed and they conquered, and then they left. They were denizens, and at the same time they were vagabonds. They belonged to no country, but they belonged to every country. They were the manifestation of all the destruction in the world, and they reveled in the blood they spilled.

They were all children.

He knew that, deep down inside. For only a child could imagine such an impetus to accomplish what they desire in their dreams. Only a child could condone what they had done. He knew that their beliefs would lead to their eventual downfall. But he did nothing to end that fall. It was like his clan had been, but the Akatsuki were on a much higher scale than the extinct Uchiha clan. The Akatsuki did not fake bonds of loyalty. They seemed to believe that they didn't need each other. The group was the essence of the weakness that seemed rampant in everything.

They indeed were children, because they were disillusioned enough to believe that they held no links to each other — and any links that existed could be torn apart at will. That wasn't the way the world worked, he knew, and because they were immature enough to believe it, they were frailer as a group than they were separate. This frailty was what had drawn him to the group in the first place — perhaps then he had really only been searching for something like the foolishness he had always known as a child. Perhaps he had thought he would be able to influence this frailty more successfully as opposed to massacre. But it seemed that the Akatsuki was a symbol of the same thing… here, too, there was a persecutor … one that took on the name of Leader and refused to show his face. One who made others submit to his every wish and slightest whim. And despite what he wished to say, he knew that it would be useless in the end. All would fall to ruin like his clan had.

His only goal was to delay it.

"What are you doing, un?" The voice came suddenly, quietly echoing through the darkness of the room, and he started. "You're being very quiet, un."

The added sounds at the end of the sentences revealed to him who the other speaker was. He spoke stiffly to his guest, a tad frustrated that his thoughts had been interrupted. "Deidara," it was said in monotone, a gentle but stern rebuke for intruding in his personal time.

The other man was small, shorter than he, and could be brighter at times than was necessary. But he had an affinity and a skill that Itachi respected, though they had rarely talked. Deidara remained silent after being acknowledged, and waited for a moment for him to continue.

"What is worse, Deidara — a man who does not follow directions, or a man who cannot do anything on his own?"

Deidara responded callously. "Neither is worse than the other, un. Both will be deemed incapable and eliminated, un."

"And are both worse than a man who will not act even when he knows there is something to do?" He was relentless in speaking. He knew that if he let it go, he would regret. Deidara was the only other new member that could see—he was the only member that had been there long enough to have experienced the oppression they existed under, but the only other one that was new enough to recognize its existence.

The other waited a moment. "Are you talking about yourself Itachi, un?"

Itachi looked at him. "Perhaps."

"Then," Deidara said, "It really depends on what you can't — or won't — do, un." He asked no questions, gave no answers, and when he felt that that was enough for now, he stepped down. He turned to leave the room, soft _tapping_ resounding throughout the room and reached the door. "But if you are planning on capturing something, it is useless to catch the tail and leave the head alone, un. Remember that, un."

He left the door ajar and Itachi could hear the soft sounds of him moving down the hall. He snorted softly — what kind of _nin_ made so much noise? Then, to the empty room, he spoke. "Deidara is much more insightful than I give him credit for."

He had to wonder, though, if that would be enough to save the Akatsuki from the fate that would surely come close. Would two out of nine be enough? He knew their goals well enough — they were going to destroy the villages that made them outcasts. They were going to rule the world with a stronger hold than any of the major countries had right now; they would create a new world where their ways were _law_. It would spread the persecutor's presence, and even though they would rule as an organization, the fact was that they still followed simply one single man. If such a thing ever came to pass, the extraordinary power would be in one man's hand, and so he would be the ultimate all-knowing dictator. But would he benefit the land? What was 'benefit'? Was it prosperity, happiness, agriculture, strength, or something that they could not even imagine at their current place?

Was that the sort of thing he wanted to help grow? Itachi wasn't sure of that. As a child, he had dreamed of a place where everyone was successful and life was warm as an ocean breeze. As a teenager, he had dreamed of a place where the strong ruled and did not grow weak and lazy. Now, what did Itachi dream of? A place of comfort — or did he prefer a place where he had a place in the highest of politicians?

Itachi drew his ring off of his hand, staring solemnly at the engraved character for 'scarlet', based on the fire bird of legend. It was an ironic thing, really.

He played with it for a moment in his hand, and then placed it on the stone floor of their current hide out. He flicked it very lightly with his finger, and frowned. His nail polish was chipping. The purple was near invisible on the ground, and so Itachi cared not for the part that was left on the floor, and instead went searching for his prized purple nail polish.

A few moments later, he uncapped the bottle and began to diligently fix the problem. As Itachi did so, he wondered if this was just another sign of the pliancy that Leader had gained over them. He frowned a bit at the thought. The man had power — he had always known that in the back of his mind. But he had never thought of it to such a length before. The cloaks, the hats — they were something he had expected when he entered the Akatsuki.

But purple nail polish?

What power the man must have had over them, making full-grown (and potentially dangerous) men wear such an effeminate color upon their nails. On top of that, the fact that they willfully obeyed such a thing was even further proof of the level of authority he held over them; it was even to the point where he didn't even need to show himself in person to make them follow him. He was a shadow leader that they followed without ever questioning … and by his command; they killed without thought for the circumstances or effects their actions may have. They were beyond children — at the level of intelligence they were using, they were toddlers! Just barely out of the womb.

How could they have followed him in such a way? They had allowed him to blind their judgment. Their crimes were beyond what could be allowed by normal standards —that's why they had all made the conscious choice to follow him. But after that … they had not thought at all for themselves beyond that point. They were assigned to work, and they worked without complaint or argument. Was this really how they would continue for the rest of their days?

And if they ever succeeded, what kind of world would they create? A world of puppets led by larger, more intimidating puppets, with only one string master — Leader himself? It was not a thought that Itachi enjoyed having.

Perhaps his goal was too small for the scope of their battle.

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**Word count: **1,534

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's affiliated work. They belong to the respective creator(s) and/or publishers._

Please comment if you have the time. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**

The Akatsuki are blind to their crimes- and in that way, they are akin to a group of children. But a child can be crueler than the worst of adults, and that much power in such a mind set is a dangerous thing. Itachi regrets. Deidara reveals. And silently, they begin to fall apart with the knowledge that none of the other members seem to realize what is going on.

**Acknowledgements**

The original idea that becomes the basis of this story belongs to VenusIsKnownForFlyTraps. She is also the beta-reader and responsible for this not being a terrible mess.

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**Chapter Two  
_Deliverance_**

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The news came to him unexpectedly, but it was something he had always known would happen. It was earlier than he had expected, but it was an inevitability that would occur on the road he had always chosen. It was unfortunate that there would be casualties on this path, but they were casualties that had to be taken into account. He had known this. He had _always_ known this. Then … why was he hesitating? Why was he trying to escape the fate that he had willfully chosen?

It was unexpected, it was cruel.

It was a test. Itachi was sure of it. Leader was looking for his loyalty, to see if he would do as he had been told, no matter what the cost. It was a foolish notion. It was a notion that he didn't like the implications of, because it said that he was being judged. Itachi had always tried to escape judgment — it was that same judgment that caused arrogance, after all. And arrogance, no matter how small at the beginning, destroyed even the strongest of _nin_. It didn't matter in the face of age, of gender, of family. It was a seed that destroyed even the strongest of people and was an evil thing. But evil was a debatable word, wasn't it? Evil was not good. But what is good? And if evil is the opposite of good, then what is the line that defines it? If good is the opposite of evil, then what does it condone? Good and evil were really just words that people used to pursue their ideals and blame others. It proved many things. Because no matter whom they were, or what battle they fought, both sides said that the other was evil. They said that they were good. They said that their ideals were worth dying for. And now that very seed was growing. The seed was always growing somewhere, no matter the size or shape or even the quantity.

It was a laughable concept, in a way. No ideal was worth dying for, and yet every _nin_ seemed to do so. It suffocated him; the mere thought that anyone could be considered to be so expendable that they would send them to die in a situation they could not hope to ever come close to winning. It was a place of power to decide who lived and who died, and it was a place of victory that led them to that place. It was that type of all-mighty victory that had been handcrafted by the people who had enough power to do so.

And to judge a person worthy of victory, the person must first prove his loyalty to the person in the seat of power — that would ensure that the person in power would stay in power, and likewise help support their place. It was like a chess game. You sacrificed who was unnecessary, and when a pawn proved himself worthy, he would become a piece with the most ability in the game.

Leader was challenging him. Itachi knew that; the man was seeing if he was worth a sacrifice, or if he was more suited to be a sacrifice for others. Itachi wasn't sure what to make of this development, however. For the order he had been given was succinct in itself.

He was to capture the _Kyuubi_ and seal it.

What lay beneath the order was in itself the test he neither wanted to pass nor fail. The _Kyuubi_ was the mighty beast sealed in Konohagakure, the place he had fled from as a young teenager. In that village lay his past; in that village, he had grown and made a decision that he could not (_would not)_ ever regret. It broke him, a little bit. It cracked a small part of his soul that he had had to take so many lives to amend their mistakes, but he had rescued them from the much crueler fate that they would have been thrown into had they lived.

Regretfully, Itachi turned from the place where he had been given his order. It was a solitary rock that spiked from the ground suddenly, mirrored by another, and then four others that were mirrored across the room. It was plain, rocky, and in a place hidden from sight and sunlight both. They formed two hands, chained together by the irony that everyone had a different name for. Some called it 'fate,' others 'love,' but Itachi had a different name for it: truth. It was truth that bound them together. It was the truth of the crimes they had committed, but because the others could not see — would not choose to see the full scale of their crimes, and so they remained blind to the chains that bound them to one another. They were useless — eyes that could not see were useless to the goal that Itachi had long ago decided on. Itachi contemplatively placed a gentle hand over his own deteriorating eyes, and paused for a moment.

He heard footsteps. They were a quiet _thudding_ sound, the sign of a heavy burden, and Itachi's eyes flickered open as Kisame entered the room.

"YO! Itachi!" The larger man's voice was shrill in the silence and echoed harshly throughout the farthest corners of the room. "We're leaving at dawn!"

"I see." Itachi supposed it was a fitting thing, matching the name of the organization that they had upheld for so long — dawn for the time when change occurred throughout the world. He said nothing outright to his partner, but allowed it to happen as the other man wished. Kisame was as blind as the others in Akatsuki, but he was more trustworthy than the others. He at least knew when to keep quiet, when it really mattered. The larger man was a good enough companion. That was all that truly mattered in such a situation.

"Che! Be ready then!"

Itachi's eyes hardened. "Do not presume to tell me what to do."

"Ah, ah! As you like." The blue man sighed amusedly. He bore his fangs at his partner then slung _Samehada_ over his shoulder in an exaggerated manner. He gave one last toothy grin before disappearing behind another of the entrances to the main room.

Itachi sighed and moved from his position, dropping onto the cold stone floor without a sound. Konohagakure held many memories for him; more than that, however, was his last living relative. At the time, he had left Sasuke alive in the pure selfishness of his own heart. He had hoped that Sasuke would not turn out as the clan had; now he just had to wait and see what had manifested in place of a family. He doubted that Sasuke had gained any sort of familial structure — they were of the same cut, after all. He — and his brother as well — were not able to make any sort of attachments easily. It was a weakness that they were unable to look past.

He stepped through the stone opening that Kisame had entered through. Itachi knew the role he was about to move into was that of a puppet. He would be the threatener-or, the one who forced them to act, and as such he would rescue them from the fate that they would not be able to escape otherwise. It was unfortunate that they would be victims of such trickery, but it was necessary if they could not open their eyes, as was necessary for the advancement of their true will.

And Itachi, as a true believer in conviction, knew that he would not survive the transition. He, too, was an unfortunate victim as the one who saw the truth. Itachi was the one who would reveal the game they played and the roles that they were doomed to accept if they continued the way they did now. He did not believe he would survive. But he, in his own way, believed that it was better to see and die then to be blind and live a useless life. They would curse him, perhaps, but they would be alive and then be able to truly do what they wished.

They would be freer. Their minds would clear and their souls would be stronger from the experience, regardless of who died in the process. It would be a better existence for them, Itachi knew, and he wished that perhaps he could experience such a situation as well. He supposed he could do so; abandoning the Akatsuki to their fate would have been easy enough, and he knew he would have at least a few months of freedom before he was inevitably killed. But the decision was out of his hands now, and had been since he had agreed to become a member of the illustrious group. The others would get that chance.

On the other hand, Itachi would die for his beliefs, like the fool he truly was.

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**Word count: 1,498**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's affiliated work. They belong to the respective creator(s) and/or publishers._

Please comment if you have the time. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary**

The Akatsuki are blind to their crimes- and in that way, they are akin to a group of children. But a child can be crueler than the worst of adults, and that much power in such a mind set is a dangerous thing. Itachi regrets. Deidara reveals. And silently, they begin to fall apart with the knowledge that none of the other members seem to realize what is going on.

**Acknowledgements**

The original idea that becomes the basis of this story belongs to **VenusIsKnownForFlyTraps**. She is also the beta-reader and responsible for this not being a terrible mess.

**Notes**

Starting now, and for the next few chapters, dialogue and action will be taken specifically from the manga/anime.

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**Chapter Three  
_Return_**

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Itachi walked quietly on the walls just outside of the Konohagakure limits. Kisame trailed behind him, half-hesitating and half-observing. The younger male's shoulders were taut, but he remained still as he looked at the hell the sand _nin_ had wrought. Kisame stepped forward so that they were shoulder-to-shoulder and paused a moment. Their cloaks, blacks with red emblems and their hat's paper fluttered in the wind like an omen, and yet no one saw. They were mourning; this Itachi could understand. But the _nin_'s way was to overcome death and to be unafraid when facing it. This…this mockery of the village was…

"They've escaped complete annihilation," Kisame said, face bright with sadistic delight and eyes focused on his partner. "But it appears they've suffered heavy losses." His teeth shone from beneath his hat, and their bells chimed once. Kisame waited in amusement for Itachi to show him really how much he had severed his attachment to this place.

Itachi knew that his partner was testing him. He knew, but he did not speak for a moment, instead relaxing his body posture. It would mean more to Kisame than weak words that could be taken or given at the twist of a thought. He added words, however, that he knew would accent his position on his previous…dwelling. "For such a prosperous village…it's pathetic." And it truly was—they had lost their Hokage, failed to capture and/or kill the one responsible, and instead of killing the one who had caused all this, they instead _grieved over the lost!?_ The _nin_ of the village he had trained with had long grown soft in the times of peace. They would be useless in the face of the war the Akatsuki's reign would bring, and in that way they benefited the childish behavior that Itachi needed to end.

"That's unlike you." His companion's statement was blunt, obvious, and yet showed the depth of his thoughts. "So you still have lingering affection towards your homeland?" The thought, as laughable as it was, was serious. Itachi could feel it in Kisame's voice. "Even _you_ have nostalgia?" The shark man implied the massacre of his clan, but Itachi did not acknowledge it.

"No," he said shortly, "none at all."

Itachi had no bonds to this place. He would never bond with a place that had ignored the problems that had been brewing beneath the Uchiha clan's proud exterior. For such a thing would be blasphemous to the ideals he had always kept, deep inside of his very soul. If anything, he hated this foolish village for crafting the stupidity of the Uchiha clan. The child in him demanded retribution for the blood Konohagakure forced him to spill, but Itachi knew that such a hasty action would lead to his premature downfall. He still had something to do for the Akatsuki, and so he would not die over something as _petty _as a past grudge. Besides, the one who had originally ignored the problem that developed like malignant cancer in the once noble clan was dead now. His funeral was being held as they waited there, at the edge of village. Those who called themselves _nin_ were mourning a lost one, but the death was not being accepted as it should have been. This was proof of the weakness that the village was allowing to grow. Those who died on a mission were to be proud of their sacrifice, not cried over. That was not the way the village worked, not the way _nin _were supposed to be acting when they should have gone for vengeance.

Leave no traces of what you have done. Destroy all evidence—including witnesses. Obliterate everything in your way. Do not allow weakness to show. Do not leave without completing your mission. These were things that every _nin_ was taught to do, and so, then—

Why did they cry? _Nin_ were not supposed to cry. No matter what the situation, no matter what the cause, no matter _who_ died on the road to success. So why did they cry for one who died in the line of battle? Though the person had died, they had had a reason to do so…death was a symbol of the success a _nin_ had had in life.

Kisame looked at Itachi impatiently, and the younger male knew what he was implying. It wasn't necessary to speak. They drew their hats on more fully, and made their way to the village gate. It didn't take long, and they took their time, small steps leading into the once mighty village. They matched each other's pace, and Kisame activated a mist _jutsu_ to cover their tracks. As they moved toward the gate, the guard appeared to want to stop them. Itachi could have scoffed at his effort. It wasn't necessary to use it on the man, but it was certainly much faster and more easily hidden if he did use it. Nevertheless, Itachi moved to step through the village gate. If the man let him pass, then it would be unnecessary to use such an advanced _jutsu _on him. Unfortunately, the guard seemed to be a more dedicated _nin_ than he had expected, but also weaker. The guard was a foolish person—one that had obviously not been schooled very well.

The man attempted to stop them with a stuttered, "Um, excuse me…"

He was polite, but weaker than the average _nin_ that was put on guard duty. It was a sign of the deterioration of the once grand village. Itachi frowned lightly, but turned to the guard, forcing him into his complex _genjutsu_. The man slumped on the gate, and Itachi entered the village without another thought.

If the guard was found before they were seen, it would bring more _nin_. But Itachi didn't see the need to do anything with the body. Even if the guard awoke, he was obviously an inadequate _nin_. He left himself open when there was an unidentified intruder—that in itself showed that he was at a low level for a _nin_. He was too old for a promotion in level by now, so Itachi assumed he would stay at the _chuunin_ level for good. It wasn't as if he was better than that, anyway. But Itachi wouldn't stop Kisame if he felt the need to murder the weakling; when Kisame refrained from acting, Itachi assumed that it was clear enough to leave him alone.

They moved their way through the village as unseen observers, and the overgrown foliage was helpful in that sense. Tree to tree they jumped, blurs against the sun, and eventually stopped in a tree at about the center of the village. They paused for a moment, and Itachi closed his eyes, opening his senses. If the Kyuubi was there, they would find him. If he wasn't, then there was no reason for them to stay in this village any longer. Itachi spread his mind over the entire perimeter of the village, forcing his will on every living being in the radius.

"Have you located him?" It was phrased as a question, but Kisame knew better than to expect anything other than absolute perfection from his partner.

"Yes." Itachi murmured, though it was an unnecessary thing to say.

Kisame didn't seem agitated though, and amusement colored his tone. "This will be easy." His voice was confident—Itachi's partner didn't think this would take long, obviously. Normally, Itachi wouldn't have thought so either—but cautiousness had kept him from injury before, and he wouldn't allow a stupid mistake to put this mission at risk. It wasn't the right thing for a _nin_ to do—but the fact that a _nin_ would act as he had seen some act brought him to the thought that perhaps the iron-clad rule the _nin_ villages had always commanded was deteriorating. If that was the case, then what the Akatsuki was scheming could really be the revolution that was necessary to save them. But even so—if they did such a thing—their wills would be reduced to nothing, and the world would mock what they had worked for in its jejunity.

"Let's go." Itachi spoke. The sooner he was able to get this over with, the sooner he could deal with the problems of a more personal nature. It was unnecessary to spend too much thought on these facts, because whether the fools of the Konoha Council admitted it or not, the power of the Konoha village had declined enormously. In fact, Itachi couldn't help but be morbidly interested in how the village responded to this attack. The power they had once held was now at an extreme low—so the true question was, would they attack them with all they had, or would they sacrifice the _Kyuubi_ for the greater protection of the village?

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**Word count: **1,476 

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's affiliated work. They belong to the respective creator(s) and/or publishers._

Please comment if you have the time. Thanks for reading!


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